Last week was a cra-zay week for us (more on that in a minute), and I found myself going back to an easy recipe we sort of stumbled on during one of those busy weeknights.

Fall's cool weather is blowing in and I'm so ready for all the soups, stews, and chiles that come with the season. This soup is just that - perfect for fall. And it's a delicious no-brainer when you need an easy meal and have a fridge full of leftovers.

It's so simple. Go raid your fridge for these leftovers....

STEP 1 - Starch (potatoes or rice)

STEP 2 - Meat (chicken, ham, ground beef, sausage)

STEP 3 - Veggies - whatever you like or have on hand

Combine in a pot with 1 quart of chicken or beef stock, 1/4 cup of green chile sauce (or more if you like things higher on the heat index), and seasonings of choice. Bring all to a boil and simmer for 10-15 min. If you aren't using leftovers that are already cooked, simmer until vegetables are cooked and tender. Top with sliced jalapenos, shredded cheese, tortilla chips, a dollop of sour cream...whatever your taste buds are craving.

For the soup pictured above I used leftover mashed potatoes, leftover corn, and then added a shredded rotisserie chicken. The mashed potatoes gave the soup a wonderful creamy texture, but what really makes this is the green chile sauce. It's very subtle but adds great depth of flavor.

We're in New Mexico and roasting hatch green chile is like a fall past time, so James got all Bobby Flay in the kitchen and made his own. But a small can of green chile enchilada sauce would do you just fine.

The thing I love about this soup is that it's so versatile and you really can't get it wrong. Just grab what's in your fridge! Some of our favorite combos are chicken/rice/corn, ham/mashed potato, and sausage/potato/kale. You can adjust the heat and flavor of the soup with more/less green chile sauce, and with any additional seasonings you add to the pot.

Easy, hearty, and perfect comfort food for the fall days ahead!

P.S. I feel like I've been keeping a deep dark secret from you and I finally get to spill the beans tomorrow! And I realized that I have so much to tell you that I'm joining